


Stay

by lavenderspark



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Angst, Comfort, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:08:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21998725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lavenderspark/pseuds/lavenderspark
Summary: Dani finds Malcolm
Relationships: Malcolm Bright/Dani Powell
Comments: 17
Kudos: 125





	Stay

As they ran through the woods, charging toward what they hoped was his location, she thought back on how they got here.

When they had discovered the link between the Turner case and the Lazar case, she had tried to call him, but he didn't answer. A cold sinking feeling had filled the pit of her stomach. They had been on their way to Shannon's apartment, thinking Malcolm was there. When they found the place empty, Dani was close to panic. 

They were stuck until the next morning when Shannon's body was found. A mail carrier had reported a horrible smell coming from the home of a blind woman. The responding officers had called Gil when they recognized Shannon. After intense questioning, they were able to put together that the woman's grandson John was Paul Lazar. Dani was more than happy to be done with her, the woman made her skin crawl. But before she was taken into custody, she taunted them with news of Malcolm. All she would give them was that John had taken care of him.

A team had scoured the junkyard, searching for any other hidden spaces. They found more bodies, but no more hidden locations and no sign of Malcolm. Dani was no longer sleeping, every time she closed her eyes, all she could see was Malcolm's face, begging her to find him. 

JT and Dani searched for anything Paul Lazar or John Watkins owned that he might be using. It wasn't until they decided to start looking into Paul's family that they found anything. Matilda Watkins owned nothing, even the house she lived in was under one of Paul's pseudonyms. Benjamin however, owned property in Sheepshead Bay, on the outskirts of Brooklyn. When they tried to find the address on a map, they came up with nothing. The location was not on any map they could find. JT finally found the coordinates and typed those into the computer. What showed before them was a blank space on Plumb Island. 

“There's nothing there,” Colette said, looking over JT's shoulder.

“That we can see,” JT said. “He had a space underground in the junkyard, there could be some kind of bunker on the property.”

Colette nodded, “Let's get this bastard.”

Dani wasn't sure if she was talking about Lazar or Malcolm as she watched the other woman gather her troops. Once everyone had been briefed, they headed out. Her heart had clenched at the sight of the ambulance waiting to join the convoy.

When they reached the property, they had split into two groups. Gil and JT lead one group and she and Colette lead the other. There were no roads or paths that they had found through the trees as they carefully swept for any traps or hidden access points. They were near the edge of the tree line when Dani had noticed a cabin. There seemed to be light coming from inside as she gestured to Colette. The agent nodded, alerting the rest of the group to move forward silently. As they made their way to the cabin, Dani had texted Gil, giving him the location of the cabin. 

When a man had stepped out of the cabin, Dani and Colette exchanged a look. Even at that distance they both had recognized Lazar. Now they were running. As they got within range, Colette announced them to Lazar, who looked mildly surprised to see them, but not as upset as Dani would like. She could feel her stomach knot, what if Malcolm wasn't here? 

“Welcome to The Sanctuary officers,” Lazar said, spreading his arms. 

Colette cocked her head, “What?”

“That's what Grandad called this place. Whenever he wanted some peace and quiet, we would come here. He said it was a good place to _reflect_ ,” he said, taking a step toward them.

“Stay where you are,” Colette said, tightening her stance and taking aim. The agents around her did the same.

“You don't want to kill me,” he said with a cruel smile “you kill me and I can't tell you where your friend is.”

Dani felt bile rise into her throat like fire, she steadied her hand, took aim and fired. She watched him fall as she raced for the cabin, Colette charging forward to the fallen man. She'd aimed for his thigh, but wasn't sure where she'd actually hit him. She could hear him cursing so, she knew he wasn't dead. She'd face the consequences of shooting him later, right now all that mattered was Malcolm.

She threw open the door, shouting his name, unsure if he could hear her or if he could respond. She searched room by room, finding nothing. She went back to the kitchen, where she had started, to look again. This time she noticed the rug on the floor was slightly askew. She pulled it back, revealing a trap door. She held her breath as she reached for the handle, her heart in her throat. 

The door opened into blackness, the smell of stale air and earth mixed with other things she couldn't readily identify wafted up at her. She grabbed her flashlight from her belt, pointing it's beam into the hole in the floor. There was a short flight of steps leading down into what appeared to be a root cellar. Sending another quick text to Gil, she cautiously started down the steps.

Once she reached the floor, she looked around for a light. Finding none, she scanned the area as best she could with her flashlight. 

“Malcolm?” She called into the darkness.

She heard a scraping noise to her left and swung her light, peering into the open space around her. She couldn't see anything from where she was, moving closer, she saw a wall. 

“Malcolm?” She called again.

More scraping and a muffled cry came from the other side of the wall. She ran to it, looking for a door. Finding none, she looked at the floor, searching for drag marks in the dirt, anything to show where there might be a secret entrance.

Finally she found them, to the right of where she stood. She dashed over, looking at the wall, frantically pushing on every space that might open the panel.

“I'm almost there Malcolm, hold on,” she said through the wall. 

She stepped back, tracing her flashlight up and down the wall, looking for anything that might open the door. She found it, just above her head, a spot on the wall that seemed a little more worn than the rest. She reached up and pressed against it, anxiously waiting for the door to open.

The wall popped out about an inch in front of her, giving her a small lip to grasp onto to pull the door open. She pulled with all her strength, adrenaline giving her more than her usual ability. Once it was open far enough for her to squeeze through, she slipped into the room beyond. 

She used her flashlight to look for a light, this time finding several. There were flood lights at either end of the small room and a single overhead bulb in the center. Before turning any lights on, she found Malcolm with her flashlight. She gasped at the sight of him. He lay on the floor, his back to her, torso spotted with blood. 

“I'm going to turn a light on,” she said softly as she made her way to the overhead light.

She heard him shift as she pulled the cord, a small whimper coming from his direction. Dani blinked a few times, letting her eyes adjust to the new light, before scanning the area. Her breath caught in her throat as she took in the room around her. There were manacles hanging from both the ceiling and the wall. In the corner near one of the flood lights, stood an empty tripod for a camera. She bit back a sob as her eyes found the floor. Blood was everywhere. Streaks and smears, puddles and drops. The largest one lay near the center, where she finally fully saw Malcolm, curled on his side, hands trapped in a third set of manacles bolted to the floor.

“Malcolm!” She cried, rushing to his side.

His eyes were tightly closed, but he moved his head in her direction. She noticed again the blood on his torso, but also finding it on his hands and face, in his hair. There was so much of it on his body, it was hard to know where exactly it was all coming from. She took a deep breath, willing the tears from her eyes as she looked him over.

“Malcolm,” she whispered, gently brushing the hair from his face. “Do you know where the key is? We need to get you out of here.”

“He always...brought it...in with him...” Malcolm wheezed, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Shit,” Dani said, looking around for something she could use. 

When she couldn't see anything useful in the room, she took a closer look at the cuffs around his wrists. They were just slender bits of metal, similar to handcuffs. Mentally crossing her fingers, she dug in her pocket for her Swiss Army knife. Using one of the narrow pick like attachments, she poked around at the hinge, trying to pop the pin free.  
Holding his hand in hers, she could see the deep red angry lines where the metal had cut into his skin. She tried to be gentle with her prodding of the pin, so as to not cause him any more pain. After what felt like hours of scraping, she finally heard the tiny click of the pin breaking free. Excitement soared through her veins as she worked the hinge open, freeing Malcolm's right hand.

“Almost done,” she whispered, softly rubbing her thumb across the back of his hand. She watched his face as she carefully picked up his left hand, starting to work the pin. 

His eyes were still closed, but no longer squeezed shut. She watched his lips tremble in what may have been an attempt at a smile. The second pin popped faster than the first, as she pulled at the hinge, she looked him over again, noticing for the first time that he was barefoot.

“Where are your shoes?”

His shoulder lifted the tiniest bit, “Dunno,” he sighed. 

Dani looked around the room, hoping to see them, but knew it wasn't likely. “Maybe they're upstairs,” she said. She looked down at him, still lying on the floor, eyes closed. He almost looked asleep.

“Malcolm,” she said sharply. His eyes opened a crack. “Can you stand?”

“Maybe,” he mumbled, shifting his legs and slowly pushing himself into a sitting position, wincing at the effort.

She reached out to steady him as he took a break, wheezing slightly. There was a sudden commotion upstairs and they could hear Gil's voice. She could feel Malcolm tremble under her hand, her eyes locked on his panic stricken face.

“Don't let him see,” he whispered. She nodded, removing her NYPD jacket and helping him slip it on, zipping it so it covered the blood on his shirt. 

Dani helped him stand, placing her arm around his waist and his over her shoulders, letting him lean on her as she led him out of the room. They were just entering the main room when Gil came down the stairs. 

“Malcolm!” Gil choked, worry and relief etched on his face.

“I'm fine,” Malcolm said softly, clutching Dani's shoulder.

“I'll take him to get checked out,” Dani said, looking at Gil. “Send a team in there to check it out,” she said nodding to the room behind them. 

Gil started to move toward the room, but Dani stopped him. “A team Gil,” she said firmly. He looked at her a long moment before nodding, then turned to go back upstairs.

Malcolm leaned his head on hers for a moment, collecting himself. “Thank you,” he whispered into her hair.

She gently pressed his head with hers in acknowledgement. “Any time,” she said around the lump in her throat. Blinking back tears, she took a deep breath, “You ready?”

He pulled back, looking at her in the dim light. “I'm ready to see the look on Swanson's face when I tell her I was right about Lazar.”

Dani chuckled, “All right hot shot, let's go.”

As they climbed out of the root cellar, the tech team arrived. She stopped and agent, telling him about the secret door and to look for anything similar that could possibly be down there. When the agent left, she scanned the area for Malcolm's shoes or anything she could put on his bare feet before taking him outside. She spotted a pair of old sneakers by the back door and walked Malcolm over to them.

“I know they're not yours, but you only have to wear them to the ambulance,” she said as she helped him step into them. 

Once the shoes were on, she led him out to the waiting ambulance. As the EMTs loaded him into the back, he looked at Dani, “Come with me?”

She looked at the medics, who nodded, then climbed in after them, sending Gil a quick text. When they arrived at the hospital, Jessica and Ainsley were waiting. Both rushed over, grabbing Malcolm's hands before the nurses shooed them away to let the doctor examine him. Dani waited with them while Malcolm was settled into a private room where he would stay over night. She texted Gil and the others to let them know how Malcolm was doing and to ask how the case was going. JT replied back with a picture of a furious looking Swanson tagged, _Show this to Malcolm. This is after she questioned Watkins about his mother and grandmother._

Dani let Jessica and Ainsley visit in private, talking with the nurses at the station, making sure they knew Malcolm's wishes about sleeping aids. Then wandered over to the vending machine for snacks and coffee. When she returned to the hallway outside his room, Jessica stepped out.

“He's asking for you,” Jessica said, holding the door open for her. 

Dani stepped into the room, glancing at Ainsley standing near the window. She gave a small wave before turning to Malcolm. He was sitting, propped up in the bed. Someone had cleaned the blood off of his face and hair, making him appear almost normal. His eyes still had an edge to them, but he was doing his best to hide it. 

Dani smiled, pulling out her phone as she walked to the bed. “I have something to show you,” she said pulling up JT's message. She turned the screen toward Malcolm, showing him the picture. “JT said this was after she had talked to Watkins about his mother and grandmother.”

Malcolm reached for the phone, holding it so he could get a closer look. “This is the second best thing I've seen today,” he said a wide smile on his face.

“Second?” Dani asked, settling in the chair by his bed. “What was the first?”

He looked over at her, her brow furrowed in confusion. “You,” he said softly. 

She felt her face heat, fumbling awkwardly for something to say. A barely audible “Oh” was all she could manage.

Jessica glanced at Ainsley, motioning her to the door, the two of them slipping out behind a nurse coming in with a dinner tray. 

“Visiting hours are over,” the nurse said, setting the tray in front of Malcolm. 

“Oh, ok,” Dani said, standing. 

“Stay,” Malcolm said.

“No one is allowed after visiting hours,” the nurse said firmly.

Dani reached out and laid her hand on his, “It's just over night and I already told them no sleeping medications,” she said, holding his gaze. “I can come back to take you home in the morning if you want.”

He nodded, “Thank you.”

She ran her thumb across his knuckles, “Eat your dinner, get some rest, and I'll see you tomorrow.”

His lips quirked, “I'll try.”

He watched her go, a feeling of loss filling him. _She'll be back_ , he told himself, looking at the tray of food in front of him. 

Dani ignored the ache in her chest as she walked out of the room. He still looked so lost, she hated to leave him, but she would be back in the morning. She took a cab to the station, picking up her car, then driving home. She tried to sleep, but tossed and turned most of the night, her nerves flipping between worry and excitement. She had found him. He was safe. But was he ok? Would he still be the same person he was? She had seen flickers of who he was before, but she had also seen how fragile he was now. There was a new uncertainty about him. As if his time with Watkins had made him question everything he knew about himself. She wondered what exactly had happened between them while Malcolm had been held captive. She shuddered, not really wanting to know all the details. 

Eventually, the sun came up. She dragged herself out of bed, hoping a quick shower would wake her up. She dressed and made coffee before grabbing her keys to head to the hospital. She texted Gil to let him know she wouldn't be in. 

When she walked into Malcolm's room, he was dressed and waiting. Though one look told her he hadn't slept either. “Nice suit,” she said, leaning against the door frame.

“My mother brought it to me yesterday,” he said with a small smile. 

“Well, let's get you home so you can change.”

He walked unsteadily toward her and she stepped forward, offering her arm. He accepted with a grateful look and they walked out of the room. Malcolm was temporarily blinded by the sun as they left the hospital, blinking in the bright light. Dani patiently waited as he adjusted before continuing to her car. He rode the whole way to his apartment with his eyes closed, seeming to rest. When they arrived, she touched his arm gently, rousing him from his thoughts. She helped him from the car and up the steps to his door. 

Once in the apartment, they were greeted by an overjoyed Sunshine. The bird was hopping all over the cage, singing and chirping happily as Malcolm walked over to the cage. 

“I'm happy to see you too,” Malcolm said as he opened the door, holding his hand out to the bird. Sunshine hopped on, greedily accepting pets from her much loved human. Dani couldn't help smiling watching the two of them. Eventually, Malcolm placed Sunshine back in the cage, closing the door.

“I think I'm going to take the longest shower of my life and then sleep.”

Dani chuckled, “Well, I'll let you get to that.”

He stopped her as she turned to go, “Stay,” he said softly, “please?” He caught her eye, his face pleading. 

She nodded, her throat closing. 

“Thank you.”

Malcolm slowly moved around his apartment, gathering what he needed to shower before closing himself in the bathroom. While he showered, Dani hunted around for a pillow and blanket, making herself a bed on the couch. She was starting to doze when she heard him emerge from the bathroom.

“How are you feeling?” She asked, walking over to him.

“Tired, but a little better.”

She offered her arm again and he took it, a sign of how tired he was, and let her lead him to his bed. She pulled back the blankets and helped him settle under them. She looked at the restraints uncertainly, remembering the red lines on his wrists.

“It's ok,” Malcolm said, buckling one hand in. “These won't hurt me and I got used to them a long time ago.”

She watched his face as he secured the second hand. He seemed relieved almost, soothed by the routine. She relaxed as she watched him get comfortable in his own bed, her own exhaustion catching up with her. 

“Ok, you sleep, I'll be over there if you need me,” she said, pointing at the couch.

He nodded at her, his eyes barely open. She made her way to the couch, removing her shoes and getting comfortable. She quickly fell into a deep sleep.  
Several hours later, she was jerked awake, blinking in the darkness. She wasn't sure where she was or what had woken her at first. Slowly she remembered she was on Malcolm's couch, then she heard thrashing and whimpers coming from his bedroom. Instinctively, she ran to him. His arms were up in front of his face, as if to ward off blows, his face a mask of fear. 

“I'm here Malcolm,” she whispered. As if hearing her, he relaxed a little. “It's ok,” she said, sitting next to him on the bed. He reached for her, but the restraints pulled him short. 

She shifted, moving closer to him, pulling him to her. “I've got you,” she said, stroking his hair. He wrapped his arms around her, holding on tightly. She made soothing sounds until she felt him relax, then she gently laid him back against the pillows. He snuggled back into his blankets, calmly sleeping again. When she made a move to leave, he grabbed her hand. Surprised, she looked at his face, his eyes were open, staring at her.

“Stay,” he said quietly.

Her heart clenched, uncertainty flashed in her eyes.

“Please.”

She drew in a deep breath, searching his face. Finally, she nodded. He pulled back the blankets for her and she climbed in next to him, laying her head on his chest so she could listen to his heart beat. She drifted off to it's steady rhythm, comforted by his warmth. He held her in his arms, breathing in her scent, letting it erase everything before it. For the first time in years, he slept soundly.


End file.
